- Docente: Lorenzo Perrone
- Credits: 12
- SSD: L-FIL-LET/06
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Arts (cod. 0958)
Course contents
The development of biography in ancient Christian literature (3rd to 6th centuries)
The biographical genre begins in early Christian literature only in the middle of the 3rd century with the Life of Cyprian. Yet from the 4th century onwards it will enjoy a great success starting with Eusebius of Caesarea, the first ecclesiastical historian and the author of a famous Life of Constantine. With the development of early monasticism biography will essentially take the form of hagiography, its archetype being Athanasius' Life of Antony. Towards the end of the 4th century Jerome will introduce the hagiographical genre into Latin with his Lives of Paul the Hermit, Malchus and Hilarion. Not less important for the successive history of the genre are Sulpicius Severus' Life of Martin and Possidius' Life of Augustine. The extremely rich biographical production of the 5th and 6th century has mainly to be ascribed to the hagiographical genre, although their results can be different, as shown for instance in the middle of the 6th century by the important Lives of Cyril of Scythopolis on the monks of the Judaean Desert.
Readings/Bibliography
A general bibliography will be at the disposal of the students at the beginning of the course. Main reference work: A. Monaci Castagno, L'agiografia cristiana antica. Testi, contesti, pubblico, Editrice Morcelliana, Brescia 2010.
Office hours
See the website of Lorenzo Perrone